Anglican Women's Empowerment to welcome delegates to 52nd UNCSW assembly
Episcopal News Service. January 25, 2008 [012508-02]
In February, women from every region of the world will arrive in New York to participate in the 52nd United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UNCSW), held at the United Nation's headquarters. This year's theme is "Financing for gender equity and the empowerment of women."
The annual gathering, dedicated to gender equality and advancement of women, draws thousands to caucus, draft resolutions, learn, and exchange information about the progress being made toward fulfilling the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Beijing Platform for Action.
Hundreds of non-governmental organizations will be represented during the February 25-March 3 assembly including all the mainline denominations.
This will mark the fifth year of the Anglican Women's Empowerment (AWE) full-scale participation. The delegations will be smaller than previous years, but more experienced and targeted in their approach so as to have a sustainable impact on women in the Anglican Communion throughout the year. Anglican women are accredited to the U.N. through the Anglican Observer's office. The International Anglican Women's Network (IAWN) will also be represented at the events. [At press time, there were 50 international and 25 Episcopal Church delegates registered to attend.]
As part of the experience, AWE delegates will participate in a series of activities designed to frame the issue around an Anglican understanding of gender equity and its relationship to human and social development. These activities include a four-hour interactive workshop where delegates will be given a framework for creating, analyzing, and measuring gender equity in budgets. They will also participate in a facilitated interactive World Café, sharing their insights, experiences, challenges, and short and long-term goals related to financing for gender equity and the empowerment of women. Part of the discussion will focus on how to continue the efforts around this issue and how to continue the dialogue and sharing of information between delegates once they return home. In addition, each delegate will receive a tool-kit providing a "nuts and bolt" approach to financing for gender-equity as well as key resources.
AWE will also offer a March 1, panel discussion at Trinity Church Wall Street from 2:30-4:30 p.m. The panel will include Maylin Biggadike, author of "A Christian Social Ethical Response to Poverty: Economic Development through the Eyes of Poor Women in Developing Countries"; Dana Dakin, founder and president of Women's Trust, Inc.; William J. Danaher Jr., associate professor of Christian Ethics and Moral Theology; Probal Kanto Dutta, Anglican Bishop of Durgapur, India.
This event will be streamed on the Trinity Church website here.
A concurrent gathering to explore the Beijing Circles resource guide will also take place from February 26-29. Although it is free, registration is required.